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Thread: Films recently watched & worthy of some discussion

  1. #241
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    The speciality of the film Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogam is its urge to capture the motion of life, yet its not an art film as it does not carry long takes or observational elements but sticks mainstream. Even though it has few repetive narrative music, it uses this aspect to potray social realism. Several shots are taken under natural light with hand held camera to enveloppe the audience within.

    Mysskin makes slow cinema, a sort of a film making style used by asian film makers - "The length of a shot, on which much of the debate revolves, is a quite abstract measure if divorced from what takes place within it." It's in this area Nalan re-defines the notion by adapting an screenplay that bends the genre, not being experimental but confidently showcasing something in a new way with respect to cinematic involvement. There lies its speciality. An immediate exemple is Idhayathai Thirudathey which is superrior in narrative during its period of release. Again, its not slow cinema, but a romance-musical bent to deliver as mainstream. Few film makers really like to play and spin out new dimensions, the recent one is Nalan.

    While directing a play to the screen, there are 3 most important factors => dialogue, expression & reception/reaction. For exemple, in Thalapathi Mani Rathnam captures the reaction part. Here, mostly it is 2S shots where you see the dialogues delivered and received in the same frame which enhances various emotions. The decor is matching, while the silent shots carry an action with a meaning. Well there are a lot more about this movie, wish not make this post a gigantic one too by moving away from recomendation and turning it into an analyse. Watch the film, I am sure you will gasp much more from it. And the slowness reported is an experience and has nothing to do with the film making adapted by Nalan.
    Last edited by mappi; 15th March 2016 at 03:06 PM.
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  4. #242
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    Quote Originally Posted by mappi View Post
    The speciality of the film Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogam is its urge to capture the motion of life, yet its not an art film as it does not carry long takes or observational elements but sticks mainstream. Even though it has few repetive narrative music, it uses this aspect to potray social realism. Several shots are taken under natural light with hand held camera to enveloppe the audience within.

    Mysskin makes slow cinema, a sort of a film making style used by asian film makers - "The length of a shot, on which much of the debate revolves, is a quite abstract measure if divorced from what takes place within it." It's in this area Nalan re-defines the notion by adapting an screenplay that bends the genre, not being experimental but confidently showcasing something in a new way with respect to cinematic involvement. There lies its speciality. An immediate exemple is Idhayathai Thirudathey which is superrior in narrative during its period of release. Again, its not slow cinema, but a romance-musical bent to deliver as mainstream. Few film makers really like to play and spin out new dimensions, the recent one is Nalan.

    While directing a play to the screen, there are 3 most important factors => dialogue, expression & reception/reaction. For exemple, in Thalapathi Mani Rathnam captures the reaction part. Here, mostly it is 2S shots where you see the dialogues delivered and received in the same frame which enhances various emotions. The decor is matching, while the silent shots carry an action with a meaning. Well there are a lot more about this movie, wish not make this post a gigantic one too by moving away from recomendation and turning it into an analyse. Watch the film, I am sure you will gasp much more from it. And the slowness reported is an experience and has nothing to do with the film making adapted by Nalan.
    Good post there Mappi. I am yet to watch Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum. But since you touched upon the subject of long shots, I would like to give my two cents. I give a lot of credit to a man filming his movies through long shots. It for me shows the director's intent to show his visualisation to the audience. Cinema is all but an act of deceit, where the audience are led to believe that they dwell in the film's world. And long shots play an extensive role of transporting the audience to the world of the movie. A swashbuckling film made with innumerable cuts does just the opposite. It creates a chasm between the audience and the film. Of course this comes with a caveat. As a film maker it is important to understand the balance needed. You have Myshshkin for example. He does tend to over do it with the long shots. But it comes of to great effect in most scenes. A more recent contemporary example would be Uttama Villain. Have you ever wondered about the "slowness" employed in each scene showing Manoranjan? That looked like a deliberate attempt to distinguish real from reel which here is Manoranjan, the real vs Uttaman, the reel.
    Last edited by Arvind Srinivasan; 15th March 2016 at 10:25 PM.
    “You never fail until you stop trying.”
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  6. #243
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    Arvind Srinivasan,

    Long shots are been omitted by our film makers these days. They, along with the contemporain audience, started to fell that quiteness is lethargic without identifying it as a beauty. As mentioned by you, such visuals transport the audience inside the arena created by the film makers, earlier it happens inside the motion picture, deeper the involvement would be.

    Take Quentin Tarantino. His films depict early long & silent shots, thus creating a premature ambience. In Inglorious Basterds, you have a house by the moutain and a SS car slowly creeps inside the frame. The beauty is the grandeur he displays by focusing from a single grass leaf. The shots stays longer than needed, but they depict pages of description within its existing time frame. Similarly, in Hateful Eight the arrival of a coach taken close from a staue covered with snow (similar to the 'grass effect' from Inglorious Basterds), I was completely blown away by his visual narrative technique.

    But these days a teaser with overused cuts is lauded as one of the finest, where you happen to profit from nothing, but left with a noisy scrambled scenes like a broken egg on a hot pan. Gone are the days where a single character presented the whole film under one minute, the glorious westerns are long buried. I have adapted, a kind of degrade (LoL).

    Karthik Subbaraj records some fabulous long takes too. In Jigarthanda, Bobby Simha opens the car door and without getting out washes his face with water from a bottle. The tower of a church in the background looks like a horn over his head. I like the modesty in Karthik Subbaraj : when a film fan highlighted it, the film maker replied expressing that it was neither in the script nor on the initial visual plan. So, a long shot can provide varied suprises. It can build a bridge for the audeince to interact.

    Mysskin had assembled lovely long shots in his film works, I love them all, but he is a bit arogant when coming to accept other cinematic realisations. If everyone makes films like Mysskin, then variety goes for one-way travel vacation. Expression does not have limits, just have to change the straw of likeness while drawing in the entertainment.

    In Uthama Villain, they bring in several contrast between the reel & real and had sincerely tried to pull a box within a box trick. The aerial shot of Manoranjan meeting his fans takes its time to settle behind the Superstar as he stretches both his hands coveying a religious symbol to potray himself as a God for his hardcore fans. All this takes its sweet time around outdoor & indoor shots squeezing in numerous objects inside the frame, including slow flying papers bits and timid bouncing lights, just to allow the audience to grasp the enviornment completely.

    To get an idea is as difficult as conveying it visually. Similarly, Manoranjan walks and the camera swiftly captures all the details around, and every conversation takes its time to establish. They took real care not to make it a melodrama, but still static shots land on Manoranjan's face from time to time. On the other hand, Uthaman episode is a Comedy Musical. There is quick motion everywhere from flowing rivers to dancing ropes. Even the hard to notice erection of "Uthaman's Kudumi" (ponytail hairstyle) speaks speed. Also, during the pathos song, Uthaman and the Moon are placid, while the atmosphere moves along with various dancing artists.

    Any film work will have or atleast try to hold fabulous depictions inside, the potrayal coming from various minds makes it even more beautiful and unique. Alas, some get noticed, others are mercilessly drained out.
    Last edited by mappi; 16th March 2016 at 05:05 PM.
    Any information on how to screen Indian Movies outside India, please post them here : http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthrea...-outside-India

  7. #244
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    Quote Originally Posted by mappi View Post
    Arvind Srinivasan,

    Long shots are been omitted by our film makers these days. They, along with the contemporain audience, started to fell that quiteness is lethargic without identifying it as a beauty. As mentioned by you, such visuals transport the audience inside the arena created by the film makers, earlier it happens inside the motion picture, deeper the involvement would be.

    Take Quentin Tarantino. His films depict early long & silent shots, thus creating a premature ambience. In Inglorious Basterds, you have a house by the moutain and a SS car slowly creeps inside the frame. The beauty is the grandeur he displays by focusing from a single grass leaf. The shots stays longer than needed, but they depict pages of description within its existing time frame. Similarly, in Hateful Eight the arrival of a coach taken close from a staue covered with snow (similar to the 'grass effect' from Inglorious Basterds), I was completely blown away by his visual narrative technique.

    But these days a teaser with overused cuts is lauded as one of the finest, where you happen to profit from nothing, but left with a noisy scrambled scenes like a broken egg on a hot pan. Gone are the days where a single character presented the whole film under one minute, the glorious westerns are long buried. I have adapted, a kind of degrade (LoL).

    Karthik Subbaraj records some fabulous long takes too. In Jigarthanda, Bobby Simha opens the car door and without getting out washes his face with water from a bottle. The tower of a church in the background looks like a horn over his head. I like the modesty in Karthik Subbaraj : when a film fan highlighted it, the film maker replied expressing that it was neither in the script nor on the initial visual plan. So, a long shot can provide varied suprises. It can build a bridge for the audeince to interact.

    Mysskin had assembled lovely long shots in his film works, I love them all, but he is a bit arogant when coming to accept other cinematic realisations. If everyone makes films like Mysskin, then variety goes for one-way travel vacation. Expression does not have limits, just have to change the straw of likeness while drawing in the entertainment.

    In Uthama Villain, they bring in several contrast between the reel & real and had sincerely tried to pull a box within a box trick. The aerial shot of Manoranjan meeting his fans takes its time to settle behind the Superstar as he stretches both his hands coveying a religious symbol to potray himself as a God for his hardcore fans. All this takes its sweet time around outdoor & indoor shots squeezing in numerous objects inside the frame, including slow flying papers bits and timid bouncing lights, just to allow the audience to grasp the enviornment completely.

    To get an idea is as difficult as conveying it visually. Similarly, Manoranjan walks and the camera swiftly captures all the details around, and every conversation takes its time to establish. They took real care not to make it a melodrama, but still static shots land on Manoranjan's face from time to time. On the other hand, Uthaman episode is a Comedy Musical. There is quick motion everywhere from flowing rivers to dancing ropes. Even the hard to notice erection of "Uthaman's Kudumi" (ponytail hairstyle) speaks speed. Also, during the pathos song, Uthaman and the Moon are placid, while the atmosphere moves along with various dancing artists.

    Any film work will have or atleast try to hold fabulous depictions inside, the potrayal coming from various minds makes it even more beautiful and unique. Alas, some get noticed, others are mercilessly drained out.
    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a film that I've really enjoyed over the years right from the time it released. A reason it struck a chord in me was the way the film was structured with absolutely no superficiality involved. And it employed a good number of long takes. There is one right at the beginning with George Smiley and Control making their exit (literally) from the circus interspersed with intermittent cuts. You didn't have to show their long standing tenure in the circus through montage shots. Just them making their exits through the stairs, the offices, and the reception told the story. Add to the fact that there was just no dialogue in between. Cinema is more or less like a violin triplet with direction, cinematography and the editing taking the part of the Violin, the viola and the cello respectively. Each has its own distinct identity but together they make visual chemistry. And that's what is missing in 99% of our films.

    I am glad that you'd taken notice of UV. The Manoranjan's part are that slow that even the latter closing the door behind Varalakshmi and Arpana takes more than a few microseconds.
    “You never fail until you stop trying.”
    ― Albert Einstein

  8. #245
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    There are long takes and takes which are made by stitching short takes to make it look like a long take. A perfect exemple is in the movie Panic Room - the Burglary Scene.

    If asked, even though there are several, I would pick my favourite film maker Brain de Palmer's Snake Eyes opening sequence. Then being an action fan, how could I leave out Tony Jaa's search for his elephant inside a multistoried restaurant in Tom-Yum-Goong, closely followed by the Action Man Chow Yun Fat going gun blazing inside an hospital in the Master of Action Films John Woo's Hard Boiled.

    Particularly, I love the scene from Saving Private Ryan when the Captain receives the letter from the President, which often reminds me of Paradesi, the scene where the habitants move with the Kangali (Talking about Paradesi, Bala's picturisation mixed with IR music are gems). The beach scene from Atonement should be noted too and the shoot-out from the Mexican film Dias De Gracia. There are several Indie films where you can find film makers projecting unique ways in thier presentation (White Dog, Son of Saul, The girl with a Dragon Tatoo, etc., ...). And ofcoarse, James Intro in Spectre (knitted though).

    The world of spy and counterspy is my most favourite category. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a finest film. If you have read the novel by Le Carré, you could notice how Tomas Alfredson (along with his screen-writers) has bent the adaptation by fragmenting the textual narrative during the visual narration. Stealing the file from the Circus is not only a intact long take but also event from one place narrative. There are quite many adorable scene where the music underplays itself to create the mysterious ambience enhanced by the visuals with perfectly modulated performence by a screaming star cast - Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Toby Jones & Colin Firth.

    [Looking for Spy Novels, try : Lee Child (Jack Reacher series) & Daniel Silva (Gabriel Allon series)]

    Quote Originally Posted by Arvind Srinivasan View Post
    Cinema is more or less like a violin triplet with direction, cinematography and the editing taking the part of the Violin, the viola and the cello respectively. Each has its own distinct identity but together they make visual chemistry.
    +1
    In the hands of an efficient director, the scene should project it's mastery.
    Last edited by mappi; 16th March 2016 at 11:51 PM.
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  9. #246
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    Just saying .... in my ongoing fictional work Chaturmukha, the Habour Explosion upto to Sena Saving Suganthi can be a long take, just like the crowded scene from Touch of Evil (1958) :

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  10. #247
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    Rambo (1) Opening



    Rambo (4) Closing

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  11. #248
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    Thozha.. Watched a very good film after a long time..emotionally satisfying film..
    And after a long time finally had the urge to watch a tamil film for the second time..and its not because of tammanah😀 After anbe sivam, this would be the next male bonding film that will be talked about..
    both karthi and nagarjun were superb.. I never liked nagarjun's looks but this movie his character made him look tolerable..and whats with him and girls??my chinese wife was attracted to him😁

  12. #249
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    Vaaliba Raja - old age story

    the most crappy movie this year so far. It's better to stare at an empty wall for 2 hours instead.
    God bless all

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  14. #250
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    Thozha

    Entertaining, feel-good movie. Both Karthi & Tamannah did well. Nagarjun acting was plastic and all his expressions seemed artificial. A Vijay Sethupathi would have given a different dimension to the character.
    The male-bonding didn't work very well for me, mainly due to the deficiencies of Nagarjun.

    Vivek's come-back was welcome although he did not appear in many frames. Prakash Raj is... Prakash Raj.

    One thing outstanding was the BGM - wonder who it is!

    Throughout the movie, I felt like watching a Telugu movie though. Thank God no fights.

    The car race scene in Paris was a seat-gripper. In fact all the Paris scenes were great.

    Verdict - Good time pass, without insulting our intelligence.
    Never argue with a fool or he will drag you down to his level and beat you at it through sheer experience!

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